The European Union aims to expand the capacity for wind power generated at sea to at least 60 gigawatts by 2030. With its sealing solutions for the foundation structures, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies helps ensure that new wind turbines reach a service life of at least 30 years or more despite the rough conditions at sea. 

The automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler has signed a contract with the CERATIZIT Group for the acquisition of CERASPIN. Based in Livange, Luxembourg, CERASPIN has over 25 years’ experience in the development and production of premium ceramic products, the majority of which are processed into rolling elements for various bearing applications.

Danfoss Power Solutions has appointed Ines E. Sira as the new president of its Fluid Conveyance division, effective immediately. Based at the company’s campus in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Sira will be a key member of the Power Solutions leadership team and will report directly to Eric Alström, president of Danfoss Power Solutions.

In its largest order to date, Danish wind turbine test specialist R&D Test Systems will develop the 30 MW powertrain and gearbox test bench for ZF Wind Power’s future “Test & Prototype Center” at Lommel, Belgium. Capable of simulating the multiplicity of wind loads that a nacelle powertrain might experience in its lifetime, the test rig, to be delivered in 2024, will help improve product reliability and shorten time to market.

Bonfiglioli presents the new high performant 800 series which comes in five sizes from 25,000 to 160,000 Nm in marine-resistant paint, suitable for blast cleaning. Easy and fast assembly of the 800 series gearboxes into the winch drum is a key feature of their design. Maintenance requirements are made as simple as possible, e.g., with an easy access to the brake, ready-made brake replacement kits as well as easy access to oil filling, draining plugs, and oil level pipe/indicator. 

Wind farms are expanding around the world. This is good for climate change. Wind turbines are being installed on the high seas with nacelle heights of more than 100 meters and rotor diameters of nearly 170 meters. This increases both the electricity yield and economic efficiency. Freudenberg is aiding wind power’s conquest with high performance components and materials.

We’ve covered SKF in medical, wind turbine, hand tool, solar panel, and compressor applications. We’ve examined SKF bearings utilized in crazy, out-of-this-world, aerospace applications. Nothing, however, tops the seal of approval coming from a professional skater in Europe.

ONYX Insight examines how digital tools can provide wind energy solutions, from day-to-day problem solving to future-proofing operations and maintenance (O&M) strategies through condition monitoring technologies.

One of ONYX’s customers and a leader in driving up the reliability and asset performance of the wind industry, Pattern Energy, uses ONYX turbine monitoring for over 1,100 wind turbines. Across this fleet ONYX connects several CMS hardware types to fleetMONITOR, a multi-brand solution for drivetrain monitoring. Two of the wind farms were retrofitted with ecoCMS in 2018, the technology with which ONYX disrupted the CMS industry.

The gear and gear drive segment of mechanical power transmission continues to focus on performance, reliability and safety. There are several new products offering increased load capacity, reduced friction and longer service life. For those components unable to keep up with industrial demands, there’s a gearbox MRO team waiting to handle emergency repair services.